Welcome to the Kitsap County Food Chain!
Planning for Agriculture in the Puget Sound Region
Join local elected officials, planners, and food system advocates at a conference on planning for the future of local farms and food in the Puget Sound region. We’ll explore the wide range of planning and policy tools we can use to support and strengthen our region’s local farms and food system. Leaders from throughout the U.S. will present what has worked in their communities and we’ll have the opportunity to discuss food and farm initiatives with our local counterparts.
Conference topics include:
- Planning and zoning tools to support agriculture
- Dealing with vested development rights
- Strategies for supporting the agricultural industry and the local food economy
- Building a political coalition in support of local food and farms
Friday, April 26, 2013
Conference 8:30am–5pm
Drinks and networking 5–7pm
The Center for Urban Horticulture at the University of Washington
3501 NE 41st Street, Seattle, WA 98105
Cost:
$100 for government and for-profit employees
$75 for non-profit employees and unaffiliated guests
Lunch and refreshments provided
Certification Maintenance credits requested
Please contact Ele Watts of American Farmland Trust with any questions. She can be reached by email at PNWIntern@farmland.org
The Number of Small Farms In the U.S. Increases
For decades, the number of farmers has been shrinking as a share of the population, and agriculture has often been seen as a backbreaking profession with little prestige. But the last Agricultural Census in 2007 showed a 4 percent increase in the number of farms, the first increase since 1920, and some college graduates are joining in the return to the land. number-of-farms-in-united-states.html
Energy Conservation Grants Awarded
Kitsap County helps local producers with food chain energy efficiency grants. Port Orchard Independent article features local farms and businesses that qualified for the energy efficiency grant program. 166455586.html